Elijah Wood has alleged there is a high-powered paedophile ring at work in Hollywood.

He said: "You all grew up with Savile, Jesus, it must have been devastating."

The deceased entertainer was a popular figure in the UK until it emerged he abused hundreds of victims over the course of his career, and used his fame and influence to cover his tracks.

Elijah told the Sunday Times newspaper: "Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organised. There are a lot of vipers in this industry, people who only have their own interests in mind. There is darkness in the underbelly - if you can imagine it, it's probably happened."

Elijah added that abuse victims cannot speak loudly enough to have their voices heard amid the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

However, he remains grateful to his own mother for ensuring he was protected from sinister characters during his early years in the movie business.

He said: "She was far more concerned with raising me to be a good human than facilitating my career." Elijah's claims echo those made previously by 'Stand by Me' star Corey Feldman, who argued in his autobiography 'Coreyography: A Memoir' that child abuse was rife in Hollywood.

The former child actor - who also starred in 'The Goonies' and 'Gremlins' - explained: "The No 1 problem in Hollywood was and is - and always will be - paedophilia. [sic]"